First the details. I live in San Jose, CA. I have Comcast Extended Basic Cable. I was using a Magnavox 2160 HDD recorder. Here's the issue : Comcast is just now switching to digital. I lost analog channels 39-60. No biggie I thought, seeing as the Mag has a digital tuner. For the last 3 days, I've scanned and re-scanned, and I get plenty of digital channels, except for the ones that were located on 39-60 analog. So I hook up one of Comcasts' free boxes, activate it, and all the channels are there! In fact, with their box, there's even more channels now. And yet my Mag can see none of them. So basicaly, I can get all the OTA channels on the Mag, plus a few extras, like history and the C-Span channels, but that's it. What is Comast doing that block outs my recorder? I bought the thing specifically to avoid having to have a seperate tuner box to record! Heck, I don't even get how their box works. If say, USA channel was on analog 42, shouldn't it be different with digital? If I put channel 42 into the Comcast box, bam, there's USA. If I try minus their box, and use the tv, it's static. To me it seems like their using decoding of some sort, like their boxes "talk" to their servers or something. Any info will be greatly appreciated. If I have to have a box just to record, and it has to be set to the channel I'm gonna record, then Comcast can shove it.

The 2160 has a "hybrid" tuner that has to be switched between analog and digital, as you know, and that might be part of the problem. CC could also be mapping their channels in a way that no other device can tune except their free or rented boxes... hard to know on this one.

Also, the 2160's Auto Channel Preset > Cable (Analog/Digital) will skip any channels that have the major channel, XX.1, Scrambled... and of course CC may be taking advantage of that by mapping their digital channels to anything BUT XX.1 position on a hybrid tuner.

Several people in the DVD Recorder forum for the 2160 have been running into a few of their CC digital subchannels being in "odd" places or not tuning at all, even tho other subchannels in that group DO tune.

There's a Manual Channel Preset procedure, described here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=12298432&postcount=12), that might be able to help find "hidden" channels (mapped deeper than XX.1) but I don't think the other CC subs have found them yet.

It really helps if you have a HDTV that DOES tune the channels so at least you have a clue as to which major channel numbers might have some digitals tunable by a non-CC box... and it appears your TV doesn't tune them either?

As it turns out, Comcast has it set up so that only their boxes can get the expanded basic channels. The Magnavox tuner can be set to browse the channels either digital or analog seperatly. It's the same with recording. The "hybrid" just means it scans for both at the same time if you want. I found a list of the digital channel locations, put those in manualy, and all I get on the screen is "Scramble Program". Terrific. So I guess no watching tv while recording! And I get to make sure to remember to put their tuner box on the channel I want to record before hand. Damn, guess I wasted my money on this new recorder then. I could have continued using my old Phillips HDD recorder. I wonder if AT&T U-verse is the same?

Yeah, it sounds like they encrypted a lot of digital channels, requiring the use of the box. Welcome to the new cable TV era.

I wonder if AT&T U-verse is the same?

Probably. I can't imagine a big media provider NOT doing the encryption thing if they can get away with it.

Yeah, it sounds like they encrypted a lot of digital channels, requiring the use of the box. Welcome to the new cable TV era.



Probably. I can't imagine a big media provider NOT doing the encryption thing if they can get away with it.

Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing. Plus it's one more way they can "convince" us to rent their own recorders. Oh well, at least for now the shows I record are never on when I'll actually be watching tv at the same time!

I wonder if AT&T U-verse is the same?Yes, it is. Worse, actually (other than their digital SD picture quality, which is really good). You would need their box to receive anything at all, and their non-DVR tuners don't have any way to change the channels on their own, either.

You could see if the cable company has a different, less "basic" tuner that has a built-in timer - but you'll most likely have to pay extra to rent it.

As it turns out, Comcast has it set up so that only their boxes can get the expanded basic channels.

Just got the letter from Comcast saying that they are getting rid of analog channels and that I must switch and that I'm only getting two free "digital adapter" boxes. I also must rent the other boxes I need for the other rooms of the house. I am outraged. Another box for the shelf and another crappy remote control that I guess we must use in addition to the TV's remote. Yes/No? And even if I accept the inevitability of digital TV, I can't go out and purchase one of these adapters from someone else? If so, that's probably the worst part of this.

Does anyone know if FIOS needs a box for every analog TV in the house? This might be the final straw in dealing with Comcast.

Does anyone know if FIOS needs a box for every analog TV in the house?Yes, it does. All the other services do.

I don't know if Comcast told you, but after those two free tuners, you will still get the analogs up to about channel 30 on those other sets with the TV's NTSC tuner.

I talked Comcast into giving me a STB in addition to the 2 digital adapters, even though I have cablecard with my Tivo S3. It said on their website that I am eligible for a STB if I don't have a STB as of yet. But it also indirectly says that cablecard sort of counts as a STB. Conflicting rules. I said I was thinking of switching to FIOS. They gave in, but I'm still pissed that these digital adapetrs are proprietary.

I still am unclear as to whether a 2 yr. old Panasonic plasma will need one of these digital adapters. The channel program scan does scan for digital channels as well as analog, but will Comcast prevent this TV from getting everything it gets now if I don't rent an adapter? Do you or anyone else know? Thanks

I still am unclear as to whether a 2 yr. old Panasonic plasma will need one of these digital adapters. The channel program scan does scan for digital channels as well as analog, but will Comcast prevent this TV from getting everything it gets now if I don't rent an adapter? Do you or anyone else know? Thanks

It depends on what Comcast does. QAM tuners (the digital ones that scan) can pick up digital and HD channels, but only those "in the clear." There's no real pattern to what stays in the clear, as many local cable offices even on the same system can vary.

The networks should stay in the clear, but just about everything else is fair game to be encrypted, requiring a settop box. Not sure where the adapters fall in this, as they're for analog TVs to access the old analog basic channel lineup. I've *heard* they'll keep most of the old analog lineup in the clear on the digital tier, but that's just rumor.

It's a crap shoot.

First the details. I live in San Jose, CA. I have Comcast Extended Basic Cable. I was using a Magnavox 2160 HDD recorder. Here's the issue : Comcast is just now switching to digital. I lost analog channels 39-60. No biggie I thought, seeing as the Mag has a digital tuner. For the last 3 days, I've scanned and re-scanned, and I get plenty of digital channels, except for the ones that were located on 39-60 analog. So I hook up one of Comcasts' free boxes, activate it, and all the channels are there! In fact, with their box, there's even more channels now. And yet my Mag can see none of them. So basicaly, I can get all the OTA channels on the Mag, plus a few extras, like history and the C-Span channels, but that's it. What is Comast doing that block outs my recorder? I bought the thing specifically to avoid having to have a seperate tuner box to record! Heck, I don't even get how their box works. If say, USA channel was on analog 42, shouldn't it be different with digital? If I put channel 42 into the Comcast box, bam, there's USA. If I try minus their box, and use the tv, it's static. To me it seems like their using decoding of some sort, like their boxes "talk" to their servers or something. Any info will be greatly appreciated. If I have to have a box just to record, and it has to be set to the channel I'm gonna record, then Comcast can shove it.

Novaks44 - I am one of the persons (reference to Wajo's answer) in the Magnavox/Philipps thread reporting this issue of 2160A Tuner with Comcast ("Digital starter" in my case, but it is the probably the same thing than your "Extended Basic").
For comparison of our issues, what model of the 2160 do you have ? Is it the "original 2160" (year 2008) or the more recent "2160A" (year 2009) ?
You can check the white tag in the back of the unit and it will tell you the model and the manufacturing month-year.
Thanks in advance.

I talked Comcast into giving me a STB in addition to the 2 digital adapters, even though I have cablecard with my Tivo S3. It said on their website that I am eligible for a STB if I don't have a STB as of yet. But it also indirectly says that cablecard sort of counts as a STB. Conflicting rules. I said I was thinking of switching to FIOS. They gave in, but I'm still pissed that these digital adapetrs are proprietary.

I still am unclear as to whether a 2 yr. old Panasonic plasma will need one of these digital adapters. The channel program scan does scan for digital channels as well as analog, but will Comcast prevent this TV from getting everything it gets now if I don't rent an adapter? Do you or anyone else know? Thanks

Easycruise - I don't know about a Plasma Panasonic, but I have a Samsung LCD which is 2 years old. And the QAM tuner was able to find all the possible channels in clear (SD and HD) when I had the "regular extended basic" Comcast, and when I got "upgraded" to the "Digital starter", no change, the TV still picks up all the channels w/o the DTA or STB (direct connexion coax from the wall to the TV IN). I used the DTA box for my older analog TV.

novaks44

> I get plenty of digital channels, except for the ones that were located on 39-60 analog

They are there, but are only viewable at those numbers with a Comcast STB (Set Top Box).

The Magnavox should be the first device on the cable, the coax out of the Magnavox goes to your Comcast STB and then the TV. This will let you record on the Magnavox while watching TV through the STB. If your TV has a digital tuner you won't need the STB, you can watch QAM. What you give up is the convenience of tuning to 39, you have to tune xxx.y instead.

Unlike a TV, the Magnavox separates digital and analog channels and you have to press DTV/TV to switch between them. Once you figure out your channel lineup in QAM you can stay in digital all the time.

Comcast sent you two Pace DC50X DTAs and so long as one is hooked to a TV and is activated you can find out what channels are being broadcast in QAM.

TV 3
Press and Hold INFO
Scroll down to Virtual Channel Map
Enter

You will see the first of several pages of channel numbers listed incrementally by Comcast channel.

Start with 39 and look at the columns on the right e.g. suppose they read as 693000 256 7.

Ignore the 256 that means QAM256 encoding. Look up the frequency translation tables at http://www.csgnetwork.com/tvfreqtable.html e.g. 693000 is >691.24 for 107 and <697.25 for 108 so the QAM is 107.7

Since you have already had the Magnavox scan for channels via the Setup/GeneralSetting/Channel/AutoChannelPreset/Cable(Analog/Digital) menu you can press 107.7 and on screen will appear the same channel as you can watch on the STB or DTA as 39

There is no magic involved, just a tedious process of converting the frequencies to channel numbers.

Comcast changes the lineup on a random basis so if a channel xxx.y no longer works, do a rescan and check with the DTA to find out where it is now.